Passenger rail news – Page 154
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NewsElectric tests hit 160 km/h in Israel
ISRAEL: A Bombardier Traxx AC electric locomotive on test on the A1 fast line reached a new national record speed of 160 km/h on December 21. The test run took place on the 12 km section between Anava Junction and Latrun monastery, where final telecommunications fit-out works are in progress. ...
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NewsVirtual ticket agents aim to boost ticket machine use
UK: Greater Anglia says its is the first train operator in England to roll out Scheidt & Bachmann’s FareGo ViTA ‘virtual ticket agents’ across its ticket machines, enabling passengers who have a query to press a button to contact staff via a two-way audio link. The 196 Scheidt & Bachmann ...
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NewsPenn Station Partners selected for Baltimore station modernisation
USA: Amtrak has selected Penn Station Partners to undertake the redevelopment of Baltimore Penn station and neighbouring properties which it owns. Penn Station Partners comprises Beatty Development Group, Armada Hoffler Properties, Cross Street Partners, Gensler, WSP USA, Network Rail Consulting, Mace Group, JLL, HR&A Advisors, Charles Belfoure, Cho Benn Holback, ...
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NewsOverspeed focus in Amtrak derailment
USA: Excessive speed has been identified as a key factor in the derailment of Amtrak Cascades’ Seattle – Portland train 501 near Tacoma on December 18, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The 12-car Talgo 6 trainset, hauled by a new Siemens Charger diesel locomotive with a GE P42 ...
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NewsBombardier to supply more VLocity DMUs
AUSTRALIA: Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a A$146m contract to supply a further nine three-car VLocity diesel multiple-units to Transport for Victoria. Deliveries are scheduled for 2019, and will take the state’s VLocity fleet to 88 units. The 160 km/h DMUs will continue to be manufactured in Dandenong, and will ...
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NewsEMU overhaul includes heritage livery
UK: Knorr-Bremse RailServices in Wolverton is undertaking the C6 overhaul of 19 Class 313 EMUs which Beacon Rail leases to Govia Thameslink Railway for use on Southern’s Coastway services, The C6 programme includes work on the door mechanisms, air systems and bodywork, as well as accessibility improvements and fitting LED ...
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NewsAlgerian Coradia multiple-unit on test
ALGERIA: The first of 17 six-car Coradia Polyvalent electro-diesel multiple-units which national railway SNTF ordered from Alstom in July 2015 is now undergoing dynamic trials at the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic. Once the trials at Velim are complete, the 160 km/h trainset will go to the French ...
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NewsTransPennine Express trainsets under construction in Japan
UK: Hitachi has begun production of the 19 five-car AT300 electro-diesel multiple-units ordered by leasing company Angel Trains in March 2016 for use by FirstGroup’s TransPennine Express franchise. The fleet is scheduled to begin entering service in December 2019, operating on routes connecting cities in northern England and Scotland. Hitachi ...
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NewsPPP concession to lead København S-bane automation
DENMARK: Operations and infrastructure management on the København S-bane network are to be tendered as an integrated package, the government announced on December 13. Keeping track and trains together would facilitate conversion to fully automated operation, it explained. Transport, Building & Housing Minister Ole Birk Olesen said it was the ...
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NewsCross-Øresund services to be split
EUROPE: Transport authorities in Denmark and Sweden have reached agreement to split up the current cross-Øresund rail services from December 2021, Denmark’s Minister of Transport, Building & Housing Ole Birk Olesen announced on December 13. As part of a political agreement paving the way for more tendering of domestic rail ...
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NewsKatowice airport rail link planned
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has selected Egis Poland for a 18·7m złoty contract to plan the rehabilitation and electrification of the out-of-use Tarnowskie Góry – Zawiercie line to enable the launch of passenger services to Katowice airport. The reopened route would be suitable for passenger trains operating at ...
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NewsNJ Transit to buy more electro-diesel locomotives
USA: New Jersey Transit has decided to exercise an option for a further 17 dual-powered ALP-45 locomotives from Bombardier Transit Corp, in order to replace more of its oldest diesel locos. The NJ Transit board voted on December 13 to approve a recommendation to acquire the 17 locomotives at an ...
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NewsBombardier to supply Aventra EMUs to c2c
UK: Leasing company Porterbook has awarded Bombardier Transportation a £105m contract to supply six 10-car Aventra 160 km/h electric multiple-units for the c2c rail franchise, and provide eight years of maintenance and support services from their introduction in 2021 until November 2029. The deal ‘demonstrates our focus on long-term investments ...
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NewsMore Tunis RER funding
TUNISIA: The European Investment Bank has agreed a funding package worth €83m to support the acquisition of rolling stock and development of infrastructure for the Tunis RER programme. The funding has been agreed between EIB, the Tunisian government and state railway SNCFT, and covers lines D and E of the ...
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NewsSNCF relaunches web distribution portal as oui.sncf
FRANCE: Described as ‘a new shop window’, the voyages-sncf.com website was rebranded as ‘oui.sncf’ on December 6. The rebranding marks the third and final pillar in SNCF’s revamp of its passenger operations, which has also seen its TGV business marketed under the premium Inoui brand and the low-cost offering Ouigo. ...
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NewsICE4 enters regular service
GERMANY: After nearly 12 months of trials in commercial service on the Hamburg – München route, Deutsche Bahn has put the first of its fleet of ICE4 trainsets into regular operation. From the timetable change on December 10 five Class 412 trainsets were introduced on services from Hamburg to München ...
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NewsMerkel inaugurates München - Berlin Unity Project 8
GERMANY: Special trains from München and Nürnberg, celebrations in multiple cities and a spectacular arrival in Berlin Hauptbahnhof marked the inauguration on December 8 of the railway known as German Unity Project VDE8. Commemorative events had been staged in Nürnberg, Erfurt, Leipzig and Wittenberg to mark the formal opening of ...
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NewsXi’an – Chengdu high speed railway opened throughout
CHINA: Revenue services on the 511 km Xi’an – Jiangyou section of the 663 km Xi’an – Chengdu Passenger-Dedicated Line began on December 6, with the first train leaving Xi’an at 08:22. The maximum operating speed on the line is 250 km/h. The 153 km first phase between Chengdu and ...
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NewsNGR EMUs ready to enter service in Brisbane
AUSTRALIA: The first of 75 New Generation Rollingstock trainsets being built by Bombardier for the Brisbane suburban network are expected to begin carrying passengers on December 11, Queensland Rail Chief Executive Officer Nick Easy confirmed on December 6. With 70% of Queensland’s population growth expected in the South-East region, the ...
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NewsNew South Wales fleet replacement advances
AUSTRALIA: Three consortia have been shortlisted for the contract to replace the NSW TrainLink regional rail fleet of XPT, Endeavour and Xplorer trains, the New South Wales state government has announced. The bidders are: Regional Futures, led by Downer; Bombardier Consortium; Momentum Trains, led by CAF. Transport for NSW ...